Although I am surprised the Kaka to United story isn't in there.
Don't worry mate, it's here...
MANCHESTER UNITED IN KAKA LOAN DEAL
Daily Star: Simply The Best 7 Days A Week :: Football :: Manchester United in Kaka loan deal
Good to see you back Gunnar
More than likely shite, but more importantly the first muppet nod for the year.Manchester United v Liverpool: Sir Alex Ferguson wants to buy a player in January
Sir Alex Ferguson wants to add to his squad in this January transfer window but is concerned that inflated, prohibitive transfer fees will prevent him signing the players he wants.
The Manchester United manager wants to challenge on three fronts in the next five months, seeking to win the Premier League, the Champions League and, starting with Liverpool’s visit to Old Trafford on Sunday, the FA Cup.
“I’d like to get one player in during the transfer window if I could,” he said. “I don’t see it happening really. Normally the player you really want you can’t get because clubs have their own criteria and priorities and also most of the players you’d like are involved in European football.
“We have done it in the past with Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Andy Cole and Louis Saha and they all worked reasonably well. But some deals done in January you don’t get the benefit until a year later like with Vidic and Evra — you face a lot of different things.
“Clubs have different training methods and when you have a player coming in midseason into your club and their training routine might be completely different to yours and you are trying to change them so there is a lot to consider.”
Ideally United would recruit in midfield. There have been persistent reports in Spain that United are interested in Real Madrid's France international Lassana Diarra, available for £14million, but it is understood Ferguson would like a more creative midfield player.
Like many of Europe’s top clubs, United have been monitoring Shinji Kagawa, the Japanese midfielder, who has scored 12 goals in 27 games for the Bundesliga’s runaway leaders Borussia Dortmund this season. Kagawa is at the Asian Cup with Japan this month so if United do decide to pursue their interest, a summer move seems more likely.
The need to recruit is exacerbated by the absence of South Korea international Ji-Sung Park, who could be kept in Qatar for the Asian Cup until Jan 29. Tom Cleverley, who has impressed on loan at Wigan, is out for five weeks with a hamstring injury while striker Federico Macheda has been allowed to go on loan to Sampdoria. Owen Hargreaves’s hamstring problems have forced him to see a specialist in Germany.
The good news for Ferguson, though, is that Antonio Valencia is making good progress towards fitness from his serious ankle injury and could be back in five weeks.
That Ferguson is looking to deepen his squad makes sense if he is as serious about the FA Cup as he claims. He said he was “sick for days” after losing in the third round to Leeds last season and does not want to lose to another of the club’s fiercest rivals this season. “It was a bad performance and that may help us and I’ll certainly be picking my strongest team, no doubt,” he said.
While United have claimed the trophy 11 times (more than any other club) they have not won it since they beat Millwall 3-0 in 2004. United have been blamed for being the team that most devalued the competition, by withdrawing from the 1999-2000 competition to play in a Fifa World Club Championships in Brazil, but with senior players such as Rio Ferdinand, Edwin van der Sar and Vidic yet to win the tournament, there is added motivation this season.
Look at that, a whole section dedicated to the dippers.LIVERPOOL GOSSIP
Real Madrid want to exploit the Liverpool crisis with a bid for skipper Steven Gerrard.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is a £45m target for Juventus.
Full story: caughtoffside
Torres and keeper Pepe Reina have vowed never to quit Liverpool to join arch-rivals Manchester United, despite the crisis at Anfield. (News of the World)
But Liverpool are *preparing a bid of their own - for £20m Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku - despite Roy Hodgson being given the boot.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has warned Liverpool must think long and hard about their next managerial appointment after the failure of Roy Hodgson in the Anfield hotseat.
Full story: talksport
Meanwhile, another former Liverpool player, Phil Thompson, believes the 'unprecedented' way the club's fans had turned on manager Roy Hodgson was instrumental in his departure.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Hodgson will be handed a £7.5m pay-off from Liverpool despite only spending six months in the job. (News of the World - requires subscription).
Kenny Dalglish - who has been installed until the end of the season - is determined to stay at Liverpool for the long haul.
Full story: Sunday Express
Dalglish was informed by a text message that he was taking over from Hodgson with Liverpool playing Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Hodgson's sacking has upset the League Managers Association who are furious at the way the former Fulham boss was dismissed. Hodgson's sacking apparently came in the form of an e-mail from owner John Henry.
Full story: Sunday People
Hodgson will seek a speedy return to management in a bid to salvage his dream of managing England.
Full story: Sunday People
Dalglish and Liverpool's director of football Damien Comolli have drawn up a January wish-list that includes Benfica full-back Fabio Coentrao, Stoke City centre-back Ryan Shawcross and Utrecht striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel.
Full story: caughtoffside
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Chelsea are ready to make a £20m move for Micah Richards - as the unsettled Manchester City defender demands talks with Roberto Mancini.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Manchester City face a double Italian raid for striker duo Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli in the summer. Inter Milan are keen on Tevez and AC want Balotelli. (News of the World)
City keeper Shay Given has been told he can leave Eastlands this January. (News of the World)
Borussia Dortmund's Japanese star Shinji Kagawa is a £15m target for Manchester United. (News of the World)
United are interested in Napoli striker Edinso Cavani who is also valued at £15m. (Sunday Express)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is keen on signing Sunderland *midfielder Jordan Henderson and is keeping tabs on Newcastle full-back Jose Enrique.
Full story: Sunday People
United are set to make Rene Adler's dream come true by triggering a £15m get-out clause for the Bayer Leverkusen keeper.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Arsene Wenger has moved to reject fresh reports in Spain that an agreement has been reached to sell Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Barcelona themselves have placed a £34m cap on what they will offer for the Spain midfielder in the summer.(Sunday Times - requires subscription)
And Fabregas himself has pledged to stay at Arsenal until he has won trophies at the club. (News of the World)
Arsenal's out-of-favour keeper Manuel Almunia is a target for Turkish side Galatasary. (News of the World)
Tottenham are interested in signing David Beckham permanently when his LA Galaxy contract expires in November.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Chelsea are to battle Tottenham for the signing of Everton winger Steven Pienaar. (Sunday Times)
Blackburn are keen on signing Aston Villa's defensive duo Stephen Warnock and James Collins.
Full story: Sunday People
Villa's versatile duo Ciaran Clark and Ashley Young are also a £30m target for Manchester United.
Full story: caughtoffside
OTHER GOSSIP
After 19 years at the top, Manchester United's Gary Neville has revealed that he will retire at the end of the season.
Full story: Goal.com
Manchester City midfielder Patrick Viera also looks set to join Neville in retiring at the end of the season.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is set to fly to the club's Surrey training ground this week for crisis talks with manager Carlo Ancelotti after a run of two wins in 11 Premier League games.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Manager Carlo Ancelotti has been offered an escape route out of Chelsea with Roma interested in bringing him back to Italy. (News of the World)
Mark Hughes has been handed £8m to spend in January but will have to wait until the summer to land Swansea defender Ashley Williams. (News of the World)
Avram Grant has told West Ham's owners he needs more transfer cash to pull the club out of relegation danger.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
But the Hammers are eyeing up former Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill to replace Grant at Upton Park. (Sunday Times)
West Ham may also replace Grant with former Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce who could get a six-month contract to save the Hammers from relegation.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
However, Roman Abramovich will *offer Avram Grant a stunning return to Chelsea - as director of football - if he is sacked by West Ham this week.
Full story: Sunday People
AND FINALLY
Liverpool's Glen Johnson has launched a Twitter attack on Paul Merson after the former Arsenal midfielder criticised his attitude this season.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Winger Theo Walcott has admitted diving in an attempt to rescue Arsenal from an FA Cup defeat against Leeds United.
Full story: talksport
Morning Gambit
Morning Gunnar.
More than likely shite, but more importantly the first muppet nod for the year.
are those real quotes? i havent seen them anywhere before.
It appears we might buy in Jan...
Sky Sports | Football | Premier League | News | Transfer U-turn for Fergie
The most sensational bit is about Gary retiring at the end of the season.
The Qatar royal family buying United still doing the rounds, i thought this was BS but it seems there is something in the rumours.
Morning allTRANSFER WINDOW
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to win the race to seal the signing of Southampton's teenage midfield prodigy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a deal worth £10m.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Jose Mourinho has targeted his former Chelsea star Didier Drogba to ease his striker crisis at Real Madrid.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Drogba heads a list of senior players who could be heading for the exit in the summer as Chelsea plan a major overhaul of the squad which won three titles in six seasons but is now showing its age. (Sunday Times, subscription required)
Arsenal will let Russian striker Andrey Arshavin leave in the summer, with Chelsea a possible destination. (News of the World, subscription required)
Sir Alex Ferguson says Manchester United will not be buying anyone in the transfer window as there is "no value" in the market at the moment. (Observer)
Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies, currently on loan at Leicester, could be on his way back to the West Midlands to sign for Birmingham in a permanent deal.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Shaun Wright-Phillips is close to agreeing a move to Fulham which will see the Manchester City and England winger join on loan before signing on a permanent basis in the summer.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is set to land striker Roman Pavlyuchenko from Tottenham as a replacement for Darren Bent.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Blackburn striker El Hadji Diouf says he has no desire to move away from the club and new manager Steve Kean has told him to ignore specultion he could be sold. (News of the World, subscription required)
Everton could be going head-to-head with West Ham to try and sign Hoffenheim's Senegal international striker Demba Ba, despite fears he may not be fit to play until April after failing a medical at Stoke.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has told Manchester City's Mario Balotelli to forget about a move to the San Siro. "How many top striker can you have at one club?" said the Swedish international. (Mail on Sunday)
Arsenal's desperate search for a new central defender could see them make a shock move for Tottenham's injury-plagued Jonathan Woodgate, who is out of contract in the summer. (News of the World, subscription required)
OTHER GOSSIP
The Premier League is planning a radical overhaul of youth level football which could see the end of reserve team matches.
Full story: Sunday Telegraph
Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams says he fears for the future of Chelsea skipper John Terry if he keeps having injections to allow him to play without pain.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has accused Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas of being a master of the art of extracting favourable decisions from referees after his side's 3-0 defeat at the Gunners on Saturday.
Full story: Talksport.co.uk
Manchester United have denied claims an investment group acting on behalf of the Qatar Royal Family made an approach to buy the club from the Glazer family after Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup.
Full story: Observer
Gareth Bale could become the best-paid player in Tottenham history when they offer him a new £100,000-a-week five-year deal - less than a year after he signed a four-year deal for £45,000 a week. (News of the World, subscription required)
AND FINALLY
The first league to move to summer football could be revealed on Wednesday when representatives of the 150 teams in the Tyne and Wear Youth League will meet to decide whether to change their season to begin on 1 June, starting this year.
Full story: The Observer
Blackpool's players have recorded a single to raise money for former youth team coach Gary Parkinson who was left paralysed by a stroke in September at the age of 42. (Sunday Times, subscription required)
German side St Pauli have asked the owners of one of their executive boxes to stop strippers performing during games after they installed a pole and mirror. "They can do what they like after games," said club president Stefan Orth. (Observer)
I've just had a quick look through the first couple of gossip columns on the first page of this thread, 36 players linked with moves to various clubs, only one of actually happened (Henry to New York Red Bulls, which I'm fairly certain was pretty much common knowledge at the time). Proof if ever there was needed that the vat bulk of transfer speculation is just wild stabbing in the dark.
I'm so sorry gambit.
Sir Alex Ferguson says Manchester United will not be buying anyone in the transfer window as there is "no value" in the market at the moment. (Observer)
It returns!
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 6
NEWS OF THE WORLD:
Andy Carroll may not kick a ball for his new club this season.
if thats true , how did he pass the medical ?